Knowing How to Use An Editing Software DOES NOT Make You A Graphic Designer!
Updated: Sep 7, 2018
Here are some pictures to prove that graphic designers require much more than Photoshop skills to produce good designs.
Some people carry the mindset that a graphic designer = someone who knows how to use Photoshop and other editing software. Of course, having Photoshop skills is essential for a graphic designer, but even the highest level of Photoshop knowledge can’t help a designer who do not grasp the concept of designing. Every designer require Photoshop capabilities, but not all who knows how to use Photoshop is a good designer.
A successful graphic designer has to be able to communicate ideas well through visual aids (What is Graphic, n.d.).
So how do we know whether ideas are being ‘communicate’ effectively? Let me bring in some real life examples to elaborate further.
Example 1
Figure 1: Creativebloq, 10 Business Card Fails. 2017, Accessed from https://www.creativebloq.com/features/10-business-card-fails.
First of all, the name of the company is not even visible! The person in charge of this design went all out with the colors and fonts. Do you get what is being communicated through this design? This designer truly put to use all the functions of his/her editing software with all the different fonts, varying colors for each word and their shadows, layering of pictures upon each other, etc. Unfortunately, as I mentioned before, knowing how to use an editing software does not make you a designer.
Example 2
Figure 2: Victoria Redmond, The History of Visual Literacy. 2012, Accessed from http://v-redmond1215-dc.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-history-of-visual-literacy-0ugd40-4.html.
The fact that this is an advertisement for a graphic designer disappoints me on such a deep level. Do I even have to explain what is wrong with the poster? The only acceptable part of the poster is probably her picture cutting skills, the edges are trimmed pretty decently. This blog post is specially dedicated to people like this, who thinks that knowing how to use Photoshop qualifies them to be a graphic designer.
Did the pictures prove my point? It is important for aspiring graphic designers to know that head knowledge is not enough to produce quality designs. Ultimately, combining the concept of a good layout, suitable typography and rules of color combination to produce work that brings across a message is what makes a good graphic designer. The designers of the examples probably have knowledge on how to use Photoshop, but they failed badly at communicating their message. You can have the best Photoshop skills in the world, but if you do not understanding this intangible concept of design, you will fail as a graphic designer.
Here is my take on how the example 1 would look like if the designer combined Photoshop skills with just some simple, basic design concepts to better communicate his/her idea:
As you can see, the color scheme, theme and words are mostly similar. I tried to not drift too far off from the original design. I wanted to show that with a proper layout, suitable fonts and sensible coordination of colors, a messy design can be transformed into an organized visual aid that conveys a message.
Reference List
“What is Graphic / Communication Design.” n.d. Society of Graphic Designers of Canada. Accessed September 7, 2018. https://gdc.design/design-buyers/what-is-graphic-design.
Creative Bloq. 2017. “10 Business Card Fails.” Accessed from https://www.creativebloq.com/features/10-business-card-fails
Redmond, Victoria. 2012. “The History of Visual Literacy,” Victoria Redmond (blog), October 23, 2012. http://v-redmond1215-dc.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-history-of-visual-literacy-0ugd40-4.html
Comments